Father Adam MacDonald, S.V.D.

What roles do you play in vocation ministry, and how long have you been involved with it?

I’m in my 11th year  as vocation director for the SVD community. Over the past 10 years, I have played numerous roles in NRVC including:

• member of the HORIZON Editorial Board;
• member of the planning and presentation team for the Vocation Ambassadors Program;
• presenter for the Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors;
• member of the national board and of the Executive Committee of the board;
• member of the development committee of the national board;
• present with NRVC at two World Youth Days in Poland and Panama;
• helped produced a webinar for NRVC on "10 Tips for Finding Joy in Vocation Ministry”
• represented NRVC from 2013 to 2017 on the USCCB Task Force on Asia-Pacific Island Catholics

Are you part of a team?

Yes. Our SVD community currently has four vowed members serving as full-time vocation directors. In addition, we have hired a layperson as our full-time national vocation director, and we have two full-time lay secretaries who support and assist the mission.

How has belonging to the NRVC been helpful to you?

NRVC has most definitely helped me with professional development, networking, and support in this unique and challenging ministry. At the same time, NRVC has encouraged me to develop and share my gifts in a community of shared learning, helping me grow in both competence and confidence as a servant leader.

What  approach have you used in vocation ministry lately that you find exciting?

When COVID severely limited the opportunity to meet with vocation prospects in person, our SVD vocation team initiated a monthly Discernment Group that meets on Zoom. Over the past year, we've had as many as 15 young men from across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean gathering online each month to learn more about the spirituality and charism of our community. At the same time, they are building a community of support for their individual and collective discernment of God's call.

Do you have a fun fact you’d like to share?

Those who follow me on social media are learning I am fond of cooking, something the pandemic has given me many more opportunities to practice. As a priest, it is my vocation to feed people with the Body of Christ, but I also enjoy feeding people's spirits by providing them a table of good food around which to gather and share their lives.

What did you do before you became a vocation minister?

I served in a variety of capacities, including parish pastoral ministry in the Philippines, director of ongoing formation for our SVD Chicago Province, spiritual director for men in formation; and local leadership at our provincial headquarters in Techny, Illinois. I also served two terms on our provincial council, including as vice provincial.